Door spring and check



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J. BARDSLEY.

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J. BARDSLEY. DOOR SPRING AND CHECK.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1885. 22y. 5.

[N VEIVTOH WITNESSES N. FEYERS. Photo-Lithographer. Waahiugtm D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.-

JOSEPH BARDSLEY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

DOOR SPRING AND CHECK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,000, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed February 19, 1885. Serial No. 156,861. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH BARDSLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Hanging and Closing Doors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in door springs and checks; and its object is to provide a durable and efficient means which will permit the door to be opened in either direction, and will close the same with certainty, but without violence. The device will be set into the fioor below the door, and one part of it will serve as a pivot upon which the door may turn, the upper end of the door being also secured upon a pivot, whereby the usual hinges may be dispensed with.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a door illustrating the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a top view of the invention, the door being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of same, the door being omitted. Fig.

. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section of same. Fig. 5 is atransverse longitudinal section on the line a b of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line 0 d of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is aside elevation, and Fig. 8 is a top view, of a modified embodiment of one portion of the invention; and Fig. 9 is a detached side elevation, partly in section, of a modified form of piston.

In the drawings, A denotes the door, of any suitable construction, hung upon the pivots B G, the former being of well-known form and the latter constituting an element of my invention and being seated in the casing D, which is located directlybelow the door and in line with its width when closed. The casing will be of convenient size and outline and will be let into the floor, so that its upper surface will be flush with the surfaces surrounding it,

, being there secured by screws passing through the flanges a.

Within the casing D is formed the longitudinal chamber or bore E, containing the operative parts of the device, the ends of the- 'by a screw-plug, H, the purpose of which will be hereinafter mentioned; and in the rear end of the casing, at its upper surface, is provided the opening I, constructed to admit of the introduction into the casing of the pivot O, and

being closed by a removable cap, J, the cap being supplied with an aperture, K, through which the upper portion of the pivot 0 projects, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6. That portion of the pivot O, projecting above the casing D is tapered on opposite sides and enters a correspondingly-formed aperture, '5, in the lower edge of the door vin the present instance the aperture beingjin the metal bar L, which is set into the lower edge of the door, and is there secured by screws M.

Below the capJ the pivot O is provided with an annular shoulder, N, betweenwhich tion of the pivot on the, seat Q. The yoke consists of a transverse bar, R, and the longitudinal arms S,extending rearward therefrom, and provided on their inner faces with the teeth T, which engage the teeth of the segmental rack O at .the proper time, as hereinafter specified. Upon the rear ends of the side arms of the yoke P are the inwardly-projecting lugs V, which prevent the yoke from passing beyond the segmental rack 0 when the device is in use. The length of the side arms, S, will be slightly in excess of that of the arc of the segmental rack O, and the distance between them will preferably be sufficient to permit of a longitudinal movement of the yoke without obstruction when the segmental rack is turned toward the front end of;-

the casing D, substantially as indicated in Fig. 5.

In the cross-bar R of the yoke P is secured by a pin, W, one end of the piston-rod X, upon the other end of which is firmly attached the piston Y, which is adapted to have a longitudinal movement in the chamber E of the casing D, and between which and the metal washer Z, acting as a stop, is arranged upon the piston-rod the coiled spring 6, the purpose of which is to exert a constant pressure against the piston-head Y. The washeror stop Z will be inserted into the chamber E from the front end of the casing, and it will be supported by pins f. (Illustrated in Fig. 5.)

In assembling the parts of the device, the plugs or caps F having been removed, the washer Z may be first inserted into the chamber E, as above specified, and then the spring 6 and piston Y, the rod of the latter being inserted through the spring and washer, after which the yoke P will be introduced into the chamber E from the opposite side of the casing,

and secured to the end of the piston-rodX by a pin, W. The plugs or caps F may thenbe screwed into place, the pivot O inserted through the opening I, and the cap J secured. The device may be used in this condition for the purpose of hanging and closing single or double acting doors; but in order to prevent any violent action of the door, I preferto constantly check the force of the spring 6 by filling the chamber E, after the working parts of the device have been inserted, with a fluidsuch as some suitable oil-which, during the opening and closing of the door, will pass from one side of the piston Y to the opposite side thereof, as hereinafter described.

The fluid may be poured into the chamber E through the opening G, which will afterward be closed by the plug H.

When the door is closed,the parts of the device will be at rest in substantially the positions illustrated in Fig. 5. Upon the door being opened the pivot 0 will be correspondingly turned, and during its partial revolution the rack 0 will engage the teeth on one of the arms S, according to which direction the door is turned, and move the yoke, and draw the piston toward the pivot 0, whereby the spring e will be compressed, and at the same time the oil or other fluid will pass around the edges of the piston Y (or through a valve in the piston, as indicated in Fig. 9) to the front side of same. As soon as the door is released the spring e will force the piston and yoke to their former position, and

during the movement of the latter the pivot will be rotated in a reverse direction and close the door. During the movement of the spring and yoke to close the door the fluid which previously passed to the front side of the piston Ywill gradually return to the rear side of same,and the resistance offered by the fluid to the spring prevents any sudden action of the latter, and, as a consequence, while the door will certainly be closed by the spring its movement will be gradual and controlled.

In order to permit the door to close moderately quick for about three fourths of its movement and the rest of the distance at a slower speed, I have provided the grooves or channels m in the walls of the chamber E, through which grooves the fluid will flow with some rapidity until the piston is nearly at the end of its stroke, at which the passage of the fluid will be checked and the door will move more slowly.

When the door is opened in one direction, the rack 0 will engage the teeth on one side of the yoke P, and when the door is opened in the opposite direction the rack will be turned to engage the teeth on the other side of the yoke. In either case, however, the movement of the piston, yoke, and fluid will be the same.

In Figs. 8 and 91 show a modified form of the yoke P and pivot O. In this instance the teeth of the yoke and segmental rack are dispensed with,and the yoke is moved during the rotation of the pivot by the ends of the cam projection, which takes the place of the rack 0, coming in contact with the rollers n, secured in the bifurcated side arms, S. I prefer the form of yoke and pivot shown in Figs. 8 and 9 when no fluid is used, and when the fluid is thus omitted the casing and piston may be discarded, and the yoke and spring secured toa plate or set in a recess in the floor.

I reserve the right to modify the construction of the apparatus hereinbefore described within the scope of my invention, as claimed herein, and to regulate its relation to the door in such manner as best to effectuate the purposes of its production.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a door, the pivot in connection therewith and carrying a segment, the sliding yoke whose sides are connected and inclose .opposite sides of said pivot and segment, andare adapted to be alternately engaged by the said segment, a spring for returning the yoke after it has been moved by the rotation of the pivot, and a stop for the spring, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with a door, the pivot in connection therewith and carrying a toothed segment, a sliding yoke having connected toothed sides, which inclose opposite sides of the said pivot and segment, and are adapted to be alternately engaged by said toothed segment when the pivot is rotated, a spring for returning the yoke after it has been moved by the segment, and a stop for the spring, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with a door, the casing, the pivot seated in the casing and engaging the door, the sliding yoke adapted to be engaged and moved by a rack on the pivot, the

piston, piston-rod, spring, stop for the spring, anda fluid about filling the casing, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with a door, the pivot engaging an aperture therein and seated in a casing, D, a sliding yoke arranged in the easing and inclosing opposite sides of the pivot, a rack on the pivot adapted to engage either side of the yoke and to move the latter when turned, the piston and rod connected with the yoke, a spring encompassing the rod between the piston and a stop, andafiuid about filling the casing D, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a door, the casing D, pivot O, seated therein and engaging the door, the sliding yoke P, having toothed arms S, the rack O on the pivot and arranged between the said arms, the piston-rod X, piston Y, spring 6, stop Z, and a fluid about filling the casing, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with a door, the pivot G, engaging an aperture therein, the sliding yoke adapted to be moved by the pivot, the piston, piston-rod, spring, and stop, substantially as set forth.

7. The casing D, having removable plugs or caps F, cap J, and plug H, in combination with the pivot 0, having a rack, O, the yoke P, having toothed side arms adapted to be engaged by the rack, and having also lugs V,

thepiston, piston-rod, spring 6, and washer Z, substantially as set fort-h.

8. The door, having the bar L and aperture 2', in combination with the pivot G, having a tapered upper end and carrying the rack O, the sliding yoke engaging the rack, the piston, piston-rod, spring, and stop, substantially as set forth.

9. In combination with a door, the casing D, pivot G, seated in the casing and engaging the door, the yoke adapted to be moved by the pivot, the piston, piston-rod, spring, stop, grooves m, and afluid about filling the casing, substantially as set forth.

10. In combination with a door, the pivot in connection therewith and mounted in a casing, a sliding rack arranged in the casing and adapted to be engaged and moved by the pivot when the door is opened, the spring, the piston-rod, piston, a stop for the spring, a fluid about filling the casing, and a passage for the fluid from one side to the other of the piston, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 16th day of February, A. D. 1885.

JOSEPH BARDSLEY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. GILL, .WM. B. TURPIN. 

